Astrology

Healing

The Moon is in Pisces and will meet Neptune later tonight. This can be both mystical and transcending as the Sun (in Scorpio) and the Moon are in deeply intimate waters right now. We could feel more impressionable and inspired with our attention turned towards spiritual matters.

Tomorrow night, the Moon in Pisces will conjunct Chiron and trigger the Chiron/Saturn square, just in time for Halloween.

The Chiron/Saturn square is the big signature aspect this week and it is both difficult and rewarding. We could be aware of old wounds while also being ready to move on from that space of hurt.

This aspect is a mixture of realization around painful truth and healing. You could feel sensitive and self-conscious of your downfalls while experiencing some closure around them. It’s like having the raw awareness of where it hurts in order to locate the pain, forgive yourself and hopefully move on.

It’s hard and edgy but also rewarding if you make the effort to be honest with yourself. It calls for maturity around our most vulnerable selves.

“I said: what about my eyes?
He said: Keep them on the road.

I said: What about my passion?
He said: Keep it burning.

I said: What about my heart?
He said: Tell me what you hold inside it?

I said: Pain and sorrow.
He said: Stay with it.
The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

Mercury, grant me the serenityto accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

☿

The New Moon in Virgo comes to us on the threshold of the Fall Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere. The beginning of this lunar cycle finds us in the liminal space between the brightness of summer and its imminent decay.

Two days after the New Moon on September 22nd, at 16:02 EDT, the Sun enters the sign of Libra and signals the beginning of Autumn.

ENDINGS & HEALINGS

The New Moon is often associated with the beginning of a monthly cycle and renewed vigor for the month ahead. Since this New Moon takes place in the last degrees of Virgo just 2 days before the Fall Equinox, she carries with her an air of finality and closure as oppose to new beginnings.

It is within the current endings that we will find the new beginnings taking shape. Something is being composted into a nourishing and fertilizing soil. However, we must appreciate this process fully and bid farewell to past fantasies and bewildering ideas that keeps us looking backward. To cross this seasonal threshold, something must be surrendered or given as a token gesture to those ideals and fantasies. It is in this paradoxical abandon that we shall receive the necessary healing for the next part of the journey and the accomplishment of our future goals.

OPEN WOUNDS

Under this New Moon in Virgo our wounds will take an incandescent glow calling to our attention what can’t be ignored any longer. The surfacing of these wounds could make us feel vulnerable but it will allow us to apply the necessary medicine. The pain which usually lies dormant under the surface of our skin will rise up and give us a clear indication of what must be healed. The remedies could be a bewildering blend of intuitive visions and practical applications. The most difficult task will be to rid ourselves of the intangible poisons and parasites.

Mercury, ruler of Virgo, presides over this New Moon and will be in exact opposition to Neptune at the time of the New Moon. Mercury began its retrograde motion on August 12 – in this exact part of the zodiac and opposing Neptune.

The train we have been riding since last month had Neptune coloured windows. When Neptune is involved, facts and fiction blend together creating a confusing cocktail of wishful thinking and unrealistic expectations. Under Neptune, we are intoxicated by an ideal and susceptible to delusion. At its best, Neptune gives a romantic tone to the object of desire, making us see what we want a see. Hopefully, the Sun in Virgo has helped us discriminate between what is achievable and what was mere fantasies. Regardless, in the days to come, we should slowly start to gain clarity on our current situation and any confusing scenarios we have been engaging with since the beginning of August will be seen for what they are. The New Moon in Virgo is also in exact opposition to Chiron; once the rose-coloured glasses come off, the truth could be hard to digest and the pain quick to locate. Be easy on yourself.

HONESTY & PRAGMATISM

Finally, remember that not everything can be solved at once. Patience and humility will be required for your perceived mistakes and failings; nothing is perfect in this world. Special attention must be paid to anything that requires fixing; whether physiological, spiritual or mechanical. Some of the keys you hold in your hands will heal what ails you and some of those keys will open dead-end doors. Pay attention to the repeating clues given to you as you cross the threshold between Summer and Fall.

Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary, great minds with the ordinary-Blaise Pascal

☿

Mercury retrograde always brings some form of revision either willingly or imposed on us by unforeseen circumstances. There is no reason to hop on the Mercury-Retro-Freak-Out-Train as this occurs approximately 3 times a year.

Mercury will be retrograde in the sign of Virgo and then Leo from August 12th to September 5th, 2017.

One of the striking aspect of this particular retrograde is the Mercury/Neptune opposition mere days before the beginning of the retrograde.

This means that the week leading up to the retrograde is somewhat foggy or tinted by wishful thinking and clarity is already lost. There could be confusion between facts and fiction. It could be that a situation is not seen for what it is and we are getting lost in glamorous thinking. Venus is also trine to Neptune and the Sun is in Leo after all!

Mercury/Neptune is not a terrible aspect in itself but decision making might not be anchored in reality. If you know this already, work it to your advantage and take into account that your perception will shift considerably by the time this retrograde is all said and done.

The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 7th was the first of 2 Eclipses happening this month and this also has to be taken into account. The liminal space between Eclipses can be thought of as a transitional period. Often the time surrounding Eclipses bring unforeseen circumstances which shake the foundations in our lives. Events pushes us to take a leap of faith or break with the old ways. Sometimes these events are forced upon us and the path we were until then walking on vanishes aligning us on a totally new and unforeseen trajectory.

Mercury retrogrades are best spent re-evaluating, sorting out, and revising what is already in place. Mercury retrogrades are not so great for launching major new projects and ideas. Since this retrograde begins in the Mercury ruled sign of Virgo, there is no better time to get down to the nitty-gritty details of your life and put them in order. Mercury will retrograde back into the sign of Leo on August 31st. The subject of self-esteem, pride, the desire for recognition, following one’s heart, dreams and passions will all be added to the mix.

*If the eclipses are already bringing major changes in your life, embrace them and apply a good strategy to insure your success.

Here are a few more tips to help you navigate the upcoming retrograde in Virgo & Leo:

☿-Don’t sweat the small stuff: Virgos can be hyper critical and self-loathing since they have such unreachable high standards for themselves. Give yourself a break and pay attention to your internal dialogues; keep it positive and guilt free.

☿-Sweat the small stuff: Mercury retrograde in Virgo is a great time to revise and organize. A great time to tackle all the menial jobs that you have been putting off. Paper work, writing, editing and organizing could really put you ahead of the game. Re-evaluate the processes in your life and find solutions that will help you be more efficient.

☿-Find activities that help alleviate anxiety: Over-thinking and the endless quest for perfection is a modern diseases. Step-away from it all with activities that help you disconnect from the over-achieving mind. Go pet a goat.

☿-Find healing

☿-Be easy on yourself: You are where you are suppose to be. Trust the process.

☿-Get in touch with your procrastination: The more you put things off the tighter the grip will get. Maybe your to-do list is to big? What can you do to alleviate the pressure?

☿-With Mercury going back into the sign of Leo, issues of pride and self-esteem could come up. Following our heart is always a work in progress. Practice asking for what you need directly and without shame. Allow your heart’s desires to express themselves in a healthy way.

☿-Understand that success is a state of mind.

☿-Do not let your pride get in the way of the hard work needed to succeed.

☿-If you know your chart, look at where Virgo and Pisces are located. Do you have important planets or is your Ascendant in Virgo or Pisces? Perhaps some organizing is called for in those areas of your life.

☿-Since this Mercury retrograde is weaved in with the 2 eclipses in August, look at where Leo and Aquarius fall in your chart. Do you have any important planets or is your Ascendant either in Leo or Aquarius? Events surrounding the next two months will bring opportunities to break away from an old way of being. This could be subtle or dramatic depending on your natal dispositons.

Jack Kerouac (Virgo rising and Moon in Virgo)on Self-Loathing

“The rucksack sits hopefully in a strewn mess of bottles all empty, empty poorboys of white port, butts, junk, horror … ‘One fast move or I’m gone,’ I realize, gone the way of the last three years of drunken hopelessness which is a physical and spiritual and metaphysical hopelessness you can’t learn in school no matter how many books on existentialism or pessimism you read, or how many jugs of vision-producing Ayahuasca you drink, or Mescaline take, or Peyote goop up with – that feeling when you wake up with the delirium tremens, with the fear of eerie death dripping from your ears like those special heavy cobwebs spiders weave in the hot countries, the feeling of being a bentback mudman monster groaning underground in hot steaming mud pulling a long hot burden nowhere, the feeling of standing ankle deep in hot boiled pork blood, ugh, of being up to your waist in a giant pan of greasy brown dishwater not a trace of suds left in it – the face of yourself you see in the mirror with its expression of unbearable anguish so haggard and awful with sorrow you can’t even cry for a thing so ugly, so lost, no connection whatever with early perfection, and therefore nothing to connect with tears or anything.”

Times of transition are strenuous, but I love them. They are an opportunity to purge, rethink priorities, and be intentional about new habits. We can make our new normal any way we want.-Kristin Armstrong

A CLEANSING LIGHT

The Full Moon in Virgo on March 12 brings a dry outlook amidst the tides of the last few weeks. This is a sobering Full Moon and we have the opportunity to reset our stance as the light shines on the chaos and structures of our lives. In this Earth sign, the Full Moon asks us to come back down to reality for a moment and attend to the details and responsibilities of our existence.

Efficiency is not as simple as it sounds and must be developed day after day until the habit is well established. Under the Full Moon in Virgo on March 12, you could find yourself vividly aware of how you go about setting yourself up for success or… failure.

You might have the urge to discard the clutter that has accumulated over the last few months. Whether the mess is internal, external or general, this Full Moon is excellent for getting rid of what is weighing you down. This purging process is further supported by Venus who is currently retrograde. Amongst many other things, Venus is linked to luxury and beauty and this is an excellent time to discard the clothes and objects which are causing stagnation and perhaps donate them to charity. Creating space might not come as easily as we hope and conscious discipline might need to be applied. With Mars in the very first degree of Taurus, our earthly abode and the material reality that surround us is doubly emphasized. Our attention is on the objects that surrounds us and we could feel the polarizing need to acquire and discard simultaneously.

MERCURY IN PISCES SQUARE SATURN IN SAGITTARIUS

Narrow-mindedness, irrational fears, and excessive worry could very well be highlighted this weekend. Mercury – the ruler of the Full Moon in Virgo – is in the sign of its detriment and fall at the time of the Full Moon. Mercury will also be in a square with Saturn in Sagittarius adding a dash of mental anguish to this already unhappy placement. Choose your conversations and words wisely and monitor your thoughts. Chances are the lack of clarity around a situation could create more anxiety than its worth. Avoid guilt-trips and mentally straining situations if you can do so. Next week will provide illuminating solutions that are not visible at the moment. For now, simplify where you can and do not become hyper-critical or overly concerned with a situation that is out of your control or simply not your fault.

THE PROMISE OF SPRING

Our desire to have everything right and our inability to do so might be highlighted on this Full Moon. However, the opportunity to find some form of contentment in organizing and simplifying is available. Processes are what bring lasting changes and we now have the ability to make the small adjustments needed to bring bigger results. Reset your stance by purging your space. Attend to your body and its basic needs. Nurture and calm your mind with meditation and breath and most importantly: don’t sweat the small stuff!

“We love the imperfect shapes in nature and in the works of art, look for an intentional error as a sign of the golden keyand sincerity found in true mastery.” ― Dejan Stojanovic

The Sun just entered the sign of Aquarius on January 19 where it will stay until February 18.

Before the New Moon in Aquarius on January 27, the Moon will travel through Sagittarius and Capricorn. We can expect the next few days to be full of heated debates and self-righteous dialogues as the Moon applies to a conjunction with Saturn. At its best, Saturn in Sagittarius can be about having faith in our convictions which help fuel our ideas and bring some structure to what we believe in. At its worst, Saturn in Sagittarius becomes dogmatic and fanatical, imposing its point of view in a one way preaching of its truth, testing the solidity and validity of our faith. Since the ruler of the Moon in Sagittarius is Jupiter in the sign of the scales (Libra) the debates and conversations will most likely revolve around equality and inequality, justice and injustice, right vs. wrong, relational issues and the delicate balance of it all.

The Moon will also briefly square Mars at 29 degrees of Pisces as it prepares to ingress in the sign of its rulership of Aries. Note that both the last decan of Pisces and the first decan of Aries are ruled by Mars – emphasizing the martial qualities of this time period.

The Moon moves into the sign of Capricorn on Wednesday January 24 at 17:43 EST and will make some lovely aspects mainly a sextile to Neptune in Pisces and a conjunction to Mercury in Capricorn which could bring some conversations around the topics of healing, compassion and mercy. Thursday promises to be a day filled with challenges as the Moon in Capricorn conjunct Pluto in the early morning hours and then square Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Libra. Thursday evening the Moon sextile Venus in Pisces, applying a balm on the heat of the last few days.

With the Sun in Aquarius, the desire for freedom and independence is very strong. Freedom of thoughts, freedom of speech and the tendency to rebel against the existing structures while also wanting to reform and bring about new and better ways of doing things. Feeling left-out of the conversation and the impression of not belonging anywhere could permeate the next month while the Sun travels in Aquarius. Themes of exile and frontiers could set us apart which in turn could create a state of disillusionment and alienation.

Take a Breather

The time preceding the New Moon is called the Dark Moon and it describes the Moon when it is invisible against the backdrop of the Sun. It is the last phase of the lunar cycle before it begins again.

Astrologically speaking, the last 3 days before the New Moon represent a time of rest, of letting go, of sorting out and making space for what is ready to begin in the upcoming month. The days leading to the New Moon are best spent nurturing and resting the body in preparation for the month ahead. One of the best way to spend the next few days, is to seek space and get out for a hike, stretch and relax. Stretch the mind, stretch the body and seek openness. The desire for change is strong but judgmental and self-righteous behaviours might be even stronger, creating division and arguments instead of unity. This can be depleting or draining instead of being productive. Use this Dark Moon period to regroup, tie-up loose ends and finish things. New ideas and new ways of doing will naturally start emerging in the process and you will be fresh and ready to tackle February which promises to be a big month.

The New Moon on January 27 at 19:07 EST is in the sign of Aquarius and its ruler Saturn in Sagittarius will be square to Venus in Pisces. This indicate tension between certain structures in our lives, our beliefs, our values and our ability (or inability) to find sweetness amidst the harshness and difficulties of these times. Feeling limited and opressed while seeking or craving beauty and exaltation. Our ability to find what brings us together (Venus) versus what divides us (Saturn) will set the tone for the month ahead. Since Aquarius is linked to innovation, perhaps now is the time to begin applying new and better ways of doing things.

In the early hours on Friday November 11, Black Moon Lilith met up with the Sun at 19’24 degrees of Scorpio.

There are a lot of meanings attributed to Lilith. She is a very complex figure and her story originates way back. This famous Sumerian plaque which depicts a woman with owl talons and wings, standing upon two lions and owls is believed by some to represent Lilith.

She is a dark and eccentric mythic figure coming to us from the dawn of civilization. She connects us to the wild and instinctual female archetype that cannot be controlled or tamed. In the Torah, Lilith is banished into the wilderness for rebelling against God who wanted her to submit to Adam.

With the Scorpio Sun in conjunction with Black Moon Lilith the light shines brightly at the bottom of the pit. Scorpio is akin to a deep and dark body of water. When the Sun transits in Scorpio, the obscured reassess of these stagnating waters come to the surface to get processed. We are seeing the ugly, the offensive and the foul putrefied bodies of the old patriarchal system rise up and all the ugliness exposed. With this revelation sitting blatantly in our faces, it is obvious that things will have to change. Anything that feels oppressive will be violently opposed. Anger, rage and revolt are Lilith’s domain. We are speaking of a gutt reaction; an instinctual knowing linked to survival.

”Bearing deeply an entirely different future for yourself and everybody. Condemned to hold this off, preserve it, keep it warmed through, not break into it until the signal is given. This is a punishing ordeal, for you know inside a different kind of reality and bear it directly within. But still you must live as if without it. This eventuates in a barren world, an outwardly determined existence in which things must be endured just about forever. You are testing yourself, making sure that you are worthy to bear your great treasure across the abyss. Do you have the forces to be steady, implacable, sound and reliable, and not turn negative and become the resentful martyr?

Do you know how to do the right thing even when you do not quite feel it inside? Deep at the core of your being incredible things are completely and utterly alive. And they will come through when you have fully overcome the old karmas and shown yourself to be strong, clear, and true, even in a divided world that is past-fixated and at the end of its cycle, hanging on a bit too long.”

Today’s Moon in Pisces conjunct Neptune and the Tail of the Dragon (South Node of the Moon) speaks of foggy circumstances. Reasoning and rational abilities might be at an all time low as we are swayed by psychic emotional tides. (particularly coming from social media.)

The upcoming Full Moon in Taurus (earth) ruled by Venus in Capricorn (earth) next week will be a good opportunity to anchor and re-group.

Neptune’s conjunction to the South Node will be exact on the 17th, Mercury will square Neptune on the 18th and Neptune will station direct on the 19th of November. The month closes with a square from the Sun in Sagittarius to Neptune in Pisces. That is a lot of Neptune.

Neptune rules beyond mundane material reality. Boundaries dissolves as we become susceptible to all sorts of impressions. Some are accurate while others are delusional. Here we meet anxiety and escapism or inspiration and bliss depending on where we put our attention. One of the side-effect of Neptune in Pisces could be a tendency to feel like a victim or like things are happening to us with little control over them.

A good idea is to disconnect from the information tide. Without escaping, find space, silence and stillness for true insights to emerge.

There could be missing elements from the picture we are looking at right now.
All things will come to pass, dissolve and disappear back into the void.

A good thing to keep in mind as we navigate these foggy waters.

”A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.”― Saul Bellow

On Friday September 16 the Moon in Pisces conjunct Chiron moments before the Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse. This is a slippery spot in the month and I imagine the days leading to the eclipse (read: this week) will also be like finding ourselves naked in a dream. Our weakness and insecurities could be showing up in unexpected places. Old patterns emerging without rational explanation, feeling defensive and taking things personally. If you are doing good, then you are one of the lucky ones who can be a lighthouse for those who are sailing the storm. Since this Full Moon is on the South Node (which is why it is an eclipse) we can anticipate the days leading up to it to be filled with a sense of déjà vu. It could also be that we go back to old stomping grounds, reconnect with people from our past or that we find ourselves nostalgic over something from days gone by.

”The wound is the place where the light enters you” -Rumi

When you combine the South Node of the Moon and Chiron in Pisces you get salt in your wounds.

Healing can hurt, it gets itchy and we want to pick at the scabs. This Full Moon is a bit like that. It is also like trying to hold on to something that is overripe or almost moldy; it bruises easily and you get your hands dirty, it might even stink a little. But rotten things make excellent compost. Just don’t handle the rot/manure for too long.

Create space between yourself and your reactions

”Whatever happens around you, don’t take it personally…Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. All people live in their own dream, in their own mind; they are in a completely different world from the one we live in. When we take something personally, we make the assumption that they know what is in our world, and we try to impose our world on their world.” -Miguel Ruiz

What you are letting go now or what has reached a point of saturation is serving as fertiliser for the future. You might feel like simmering in your stew a bit longer. You might think that going back to your old ways would be safer. It could be that an important chapter is closing but you can’t quite see around the corner. Whichever way you decide to navigate this narrow canal, know that there is no turning back. Tie yourself to the mast of your boat while the Moon passes in the earth’s shadow and looses her light. An era is definitely over and you get the confirmation if you can stand the darkness for a brief moment. If you have personal planets in the last 10 degrees of the Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) this Full Moon will affect you more significantly.

Safe passage xx

Elodie

Images:✵Eddystone Lighthouse, During a Storm by William Daniell (1769–1837)
Plymouth City Council: Museum and Art Gallery.